


A Will to Live

by Siliyis



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blind Character, F/M, Implied Sexual Content, Sad and Sweet, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, V | Kim Jihyun Deserved Better
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-05-31 08:12:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19422004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Siliyis/pseuds/Siliyis
Summary: Soulmate AU: For most people, a soulmate mark is a blessing but for V, it's a curse.Might consider doing one for each RFA member (excluding Jaehee.)





	1. Chapter 1

When a baby is born, they are born pure with no mark. It's only when soulmates grow old enough to write will their first words appear on each other's skin. Kim Jihyun already learned how to write at the age of 4. It was expected for a young heir to be taught business and etiquette for succession so that made him ahead of his peers in all shapes and forms. A tool that was molded by his father to follow the correct path that was chosen to him before his birth. The line of what's rights and wrong became blurred into what his father determines. Jihyun, being the obedient son, did everything in his power to follow his father's lead. Even when his father said he's destined to marry someone who would help prosper their family's art business.

The young child did his best not be swayed by anything so it didn't come as a surprise when Jihyun had no clue what soulmates are and what they meant to people. Especially not when his father banned it from being spoken. It took more than 5 years for it to finally sink in. He would occasionally hear that word being thrown around here and there, sometimes in church, sometimes in school, sometimes by the maid's gossip when they didn't realize he was there but he didn't care. It never mattered what it is...it only did when one of the maid found hers. It was by pure coincidence. She had to escort him to Jumin's house and Jumin's bodyguard just happened to be her other half.

He had known this maid since as young as he could remember. She was very stoic, rarely showed emotions during her entire stay with the Kim's family so when her face brighten up to the point her smile could blind people, Jihyun thought that moment deserved to be captured and stored. It was quite a beautiful sight to see someone radiate...like the sun.

His feelings for soulmates didn't change drastically but he was curious. Curious on what kind of words he got. The maids secret gossips had given him a general idea of what to expect. Something about how if his soulmate weren't younger than him by 6 years then they probably would be able to write so he excused himself into the restroom. Unlike Jumin's, their house didn't have any mirrors. His father wasn't fond of them ( _he didn't realize **why** at that time_) so this was the perfect opportunity to check anything he missed.

With a strange feeling weighting his heart, Jihyun stood in front of parallel mirrors, giving him both back and front view. No matter how much he wrecked his head, he wasn't sure why Mr. Han put these there but he will take what he can get.

First, he spread his hands and flipped them. Although he knew nothing were there from seeing his hands daily, he still wanted to check ever nook and cranny. With the help of the infinity view, his tiny, bony finger came up to the back of his hair, lifting any strand of hair to see his neck, behind his ears. Nothing. His hands trailed down his neck to his bottons and undone them, taking his dress shirt off. He looked at his chest, collarbones.... at the mirror for his back... Nothing... Maybe his soulmate was a lot younger than him? His right shoes pad pressed down on the other pair's heel, pulling his Versace derby off. He did the same to the other using his toes, his palm swiping down to quickly get rid of his socks, rotating his foot around. Still nothing.

It was a strange experience to realize that he never paid attention to his body before. That he HAD to check and still find nothing because of his lack of interest in himself. He secretly hoped the mark would be somewhere appropriate but God didn't seem to be on his side.

Fingers tracing the metal of his leather belt, he unbuckled it and pushed it down. He decided he might as well go naked. He stared at himself and surprisingly he found black, inked words on his tighs. It's a bit awkward to think he might take off his pants to his soulmate. A part of him was embarrassed to death at the placement while another part was relieved. _At least it was there._

Except he couldn't see the words from his position. His legs moved closer, curiosity grawning on him. It was difficult to read when the words appear upside down to him but simultaneously also still difficult to read from the mirrior since it's backwards. The words were short but it took quite a lot of seconds for them to register in his head. And when they did, his mind went blank.  
...  
...  
...

Kim Jihyun, for the first time in his life, didn't know what to do. What to make out of these words. So he did what any sane person would do. Wear his clothes and pretend it never happened.

* * *

For 16 years, Kim Jihyun haven't told anyone. He always played ignorant when asked. Opening up about something that was supposed to be intimate and personal just wasn't how he approached things. However, it happened once in his life, when Kim Jihyun decided to open up to someone else during one of his visits to the library in middle school.

They were both sitting down on a couch, with Jihyun doing nothing while Jumin's reading a book called a "Solemn contemplation on future business". Somehow his mother ended up being the main topic.

"I should shape my own point of view about my mother....?" Jihyun repeated, thinking it over.

Jumin nodded, thinking off how controlled Jihyun's life is. "And once you shed off your father's influence that has gripped your entire childhood you'll understand that life is meant to be spent alone. Of course, that applies to me, too."

"Hmmm..." Maybe his mother deserved a chance.

"Alright, advice session is over. The rest is up to you." Jumin seemed so intent into reading that he suggested either Jihyun leave or pick his own book. Although if Jihyun's was honest, he wasn't sure if it's fun to read. He decided to pick one of Jumin's leftover from the pile he made but before he could reach, he heard a squeal nearby.  
"They are so handsome! Don't you wish they were our soulmate?"

He tried to be like Jumin... Pretending like he didn't notice their stares by continuing tugging lightly on the bookmark as the girls walked past him, talking loudly about them. The book glided towards his facing palm, grabbing it. He leaned back down to his seat, giving Jumin a side glance. For a moment, a thought crossed his mind that Jumin might be an expert in the arts of ignoring or he's too engrossed in reading to hear what they said.

Once they were out of sight, he faced his friend.

"Jumin," Jihyun started the next conversation slowly, wondering if Jumin would still be interested in giving another advice. They have never talked about this before but he felt like he already knew what Jumin thought. "What do you think of Soulmates?"

That succeeded in getting Jumin's attention. A delicate brow raised up. There must be a reason why Jihyun would mention something as nonsensical as that.

"What bought up this discussion?" He won't deny that it was a bit strange that it took this long for them to talk about Soulmates when they talked about pretty much everything.

"I'm just curious on what kind of first words the great Jumin Han got." Jihyun replied humorously. Jumin had to resist smirking at that. He understood what's it's like to be so curious to the point of wanting to find answers right away. It happens to him on a daily basis.

"Very well." The timing may have been odd but instead of questioning his friend, he set the book beside him to unbutton his cufflinks and rolled his sleeve to his elbow. The words, "Oh my god, you are so hot." took his entire forearm.

Jihyun sweatdropped at that. He wasn't sure if Jumin was fortunate or misfortune... He was starting to side with the latter the more he reread.

"I can already tell my soulmate is just like my father's girlfriends." Jumin lack of interest was too apparent. Jihyun can tell even if his face gave nothing away. Jumin unrolled his sleeve, clipped his cuffs back then grabbed his book.

"Looks like you don't want to be in a relationship." It wasn't a question, it was a fact.

"You know me to well." Jumin sighed but his interest had been piqued now knowing Jihyun is kind of similar to him in that aspect. He partially felt that Jihyun was like that because of his father. Jumin was fortunate enough that no one was forcing him to marry for business. "What about yours?"

"Ahhh.... It's... on my legs so I can't show you but their first words were..." He trailed off, a bit hesitant to say it.

Jumin didn't miss that pause. He opened his mouth to inquire but Jihyun beat him to it by answering.

For the first time in almost a decade, Jihyun saw his always calm and collected friend flustered. The book he was holding slipped out of his hands into the ground, eyes slightly wide.

Jihyun didn't need to wait much before Jumin regained his composure. He bended down to pick up what fell, a far away look overtook his face.That usually meant he was analyzing.

"What do you think?" Jihyun asked. If he was confused, he knew Jumin would not because unlike him, Jumin was more of a logical, critical thinker who brings hard facts not opinions. He can tell right away what's the problem and find a solution in a minute.

"It's vague and it's best if we don't jump to conclusion. It could mean something else entirely." Jumin averted his eyes, adjusting his cufflinks. Jihyun knew that meant he was thinking deeply about something he is unsure.

"In my head, it only meant one thing." Jihyun looked away, staring at the bookshelves, everything long forgotten. "Do you think...?"

"It may be rare but not impossible," Jumin closed his eyes, a bit taking aback but he will answer regardless. "I've read quite a few cases about it. Based on research, statistics says that 1 in a million go through it, almost an average of 3 people in a year."

Jihyun couldn't resist the small smile. Of course Jumin would bring him the full details.

"Although Jihyun," Jumin couldn't help but stare at his friend's side view. He struggled with how to say this. "Don't meet your soulmate."

The words didn't come out right or logical. It's exactly what he wanted to say but at the same time not. He wasn't stupid, he knew Jihyun will meet his soulmate whether he liked it or not but...

He tried to come up with another way to express how he felt. His fingers linger on his cufflinks, his pupil lowering down.

"I understand." He snapped back to Jihyun smiling at him. "I understand what you mean."

This was another reminder on why they were friends. They understand each other even without speaking.

"I'll live my life the way I want."

* * *

One of the best thing to happen to Jihyun's life was meeting Rika. Then falling in love with her. She was like dawn, peeking up through the sky to warm up his chilly night. A blazing kindness that had a way to melt the iciest of hearts. He never met anyone who loved, cried, cared for people the way she did. She was his muse, an inspiration to become a better artist and person.

But every best thing also had it's ups and downs. One of the most occurring problem in their relationship was left neglected, pushed aside to be solved by no one. Issue filled the air with a stifling suffocation from time to time but neither Rika nor V done anything about it. At least not until that day.

It was raining heavily, the mood damp and gray. She was staring at the lining droplets that decorated the window wall of their bedroom while he was admiring her beauty. The lights were off, leaving behind a dark, bluish vibe, almost as if the unclouded sky were inside and not out. It was silent for a long time, the subdued pattering of the rain was the only silence breaker until she replaced it.

"V."

"Hmm?"

"Am I ugly?" Rika's soft voice reverberated.

Jihyun furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. It really came out of the blue and he wasn't sure where it was leading. "No Rika, you're beautiful. Too beautiful. "

He watched as her eyelashes batted, her chin resting on her hand. She didn't look happy or sad but she was still breathtaking.

"Then," Her arm dropped around waist, finally facing him. "Is my body ugly?"

It clicked right away what's the purpose behind this insecurity. He would usually counter it right away but he struggled to justify himself.

"If I'm not ugly then... why won't you love me?" Her voice was so earnest, eyes searching for answers Any clue he might give away.

"V." She stood up, causing him to stand with her out of worry. He shifted uncomfortably when she got close. Too close that he could almost feel her body on his.

"Why?" she whispered, her palm raised to lay on his chest.

He averted his gaze but he didn't move. Rika had been nothing but tolerant of him. She was so understanding and never questioned his selfish decision. He knew that he overstayed his welcome with his silence. They were in love for a year yet their relationship never went to the next level. He always put a stop whenever it got risky.

"Because I'm afraid." He truly was. Afraid of her breaking before him. "I don't want to hurt you Rika."

He is using the same old excuse. Even he was starting to get tired of himself. He couldn't tell her though.

"But you can't hurt me." Her cold fingertips traced his collarbones, sending a shiver down his spine.

"I know you can't." She cupped his chin, pulling him towards her. Her breath fanned his face. She was close. Her lips were touching his but... thin finger pressed on her buttom lips to block her. He felt guilty but what's done needs to be done. "It's not your fault, it's mine." 

He could feel her shake. Whether from angry or sorrow, he couldn't tell.

"Don't lie to me V!"

She yanked his wrists, placing it on her breast, surprising him into looking at her. Her glare was intense despite her tears. "If you truly loved me you wouldn't leave me desperate!"

"Rika-"

"Stop giving me empty lies!" Her grip on him tighten, nails digging deep into his skin. "If you hate me just say so. If you don't want to be with me, just say so!"

The aggressiveness was too clear. What was he doing? His teeth clenched. How much more pain does he need to put her through?

"Or... Are you waiting for your soulmate? Was I just a fling?" The fear became apparent, like this is what she was thinking all along.

He panicked. That's not what he wanted her to believe. This is not how he wanted her to feel. _God was he_ \- his arms pulled her into his embrace- _undeserving of love_. "Rika, they are not lies! I truly love you!"

"Let go!" She tried to shove him but he wouldn't let go.

"I said let go!" She pounded on his chest.

"No. I don't want to let you go thinking you are a replacement."

Her hard hits slow down into weak ones. Her sobs sounded so hard breaking. A part of him broke. "You know I would give you my eyes, heart, limbs, anything you wanted Rika."

Her hand halted into a stop but her shaking didn't. "If you will give me everything then.. "

She looked up to his face, eyes moist and pleading. "Please V... Please love me."

A sad smile overtook his face, gaze soft, brows furrowed. _It wasn't easy_. "Please."

He couldn't ignore how she begged him. Mint eyes closed and leaned down to connect their lips together.It was gentle, soft and sweet before it intensified and Rika pulled him along towards their bed. She fell backwards and V climbed on top to continue their making out.

Their love escalated and she lay bare, waiting for him to take off the only remaining piece. He was wavering but her big eyes full of desire and hope gave him a slight nudge. He took off everything and she stared at him with a wondrous gaze. Full of amazement and desire. The way she licked her lips made him blush. Although that died as fast when he found out were her eyes lay. His hand instinctively covered his soulmate's words.

"Was that your mark?" Her desire dissipated into excitement. "It was there?"

Jihyun wiped his hand on his tighs, feeling nervous at her increasing interest. He feared what she will say next.

"Can I read it?" Rika asked, getting up, to get a closer look. She didn't get the opportunity to read it properly when she was lying down.

Jihyun bit his lips and let out a sigh. It couldn't be avoided. She would see it regardless. His fingers swiped upwards to reveal them. He gauged her reaction. Her lively curiosity dropped... frozen in place for a minute. Her body started to shake and her cheeks were once again stained. This time it was uncontrollable.

"V, I-I" she gasped, trying to sound coherent as he went to hug her for comfort. "I'mm ss-sso sorry."

"It's fine, really." he stroked her hair to calm down.

She shook her head. "No V... It's not fine."

It was fine.

He was over it.

A long time ago.

Although like a curse, their love sessions from there onward seemed to end up as their first every single time. She would act confident each time, like it won't bother her but everytime she reads those words she would cry and halt everything. It didn't have a happily ever after. It always ended with him comforting her.

And just like a curse, he didn't know when or how it started it but eventually Rika would say his soulmate's first words to him each day. 

"V..."

"Yes?"

" _Please don't die... please._ "

He would always give her empty promises.

"I won't."

In which Kim Jihyun, a young uprising photographer, dies on the day he meets his soulmate.


	2. II Savior

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was here hoping I would at least get 1 comment but lo and behold, the support I got is overwhelming. I'm so thankful to everyone who read (I had to Google hits haha), commented and left kudos. This fandom wasn't dead, thank god! 
> 
> I don't know how people will like this chapter when I hate it so much. It's better in my head but writing it down was different and difficult. I don't know how to write it better so I'm stuck. I don't know why I chose angst when I can't write it to save my life smh.
> 
> Hera: Omg, thank you so much! Yes, the others will not be sad because they will not be angst.. Well, if we remove Saeyoung's personality out of the way for a sec lol
> 
> Butteryellow: Thank you T.T you flatter me too much. I can't believe there were still people playing the V route in 2019 lol thank god I'm not alone. 
> 
> Brynnakat: o.O too good? Sis, you tripping but yes! I CAN'T LET MY V DIE!
> 
> Sinxdeus: Gurl you exaggerated too much lmao LIKE I COULDN'T STOP BLUSHING AND REREADING THIS! I WAS A HAPPY FACE TO THE POINT MY GRANDMA WANTED TO HIT ME! 
> 
> Jessielric: I was shook when I found out there still many people who are still playing because this game was popular in 2016. V is my favorite too! HE DESERVE A PROTECTION SQUAD! Thank you O//O I don't think I'm that great. 
> 
> susabei: THANK YOU SO MUCH! I didn't know it kept people on the edge of their seat... I have always wanted to hear that ;-; I didn't play Baehee or Saeran route yet. I messed up on the prologue and got a robot ending while my family ruined my Saeran route so one whole day ended up needing hourglass which my broke ass can't. And you know what happens when one day goes wrong. They ALL go wrong ;-; 
> 
> Araesan: that's how I feel about y'all.
> 
> Skyelion: When you say it like that, I can't help but update asap *-* Thank you and a win for the V community.
> 
> Main song choice:
> 
> Lee Taemin: Stone Heart  
> Kim Yuna: Voice  
> Kim Taeyeon: Fire

_"V I beg you. Talk to them for me."_

_"I can't."_

_"Please V! Don't let them kill my darkness! You know my devil can't survive this. I'll forget who I am."_

_Kim Jihyun may have been blind but for Rika, he wasn't. He could see her disheveled, luscious blond locks, her emerald eyes pleading at him with shaking fear, her white uniform all wrinkled up as people ushered her inside._

_"Help me!"_

_"Rika... This is all I can do for you."_

_It's almost like a switch, her whole personality changed._

_"You hypocrite. You traitor. I knew you would try to kill my devil with your light. You said you'll love me even if I test you, torture you and ruin you!"_

_Her burst of angry came out in frenzy, losing control. The people restrainted her. Her voice shrilled in a way that he would never forget ever in his life. "Are you saying all your love for me was a lie?"_

_"Rika, I meant every word I said. I'll give you my life if I could ease your pain."_

_"You think your life hold any meaning now? Don't make me laugh." She laughed maniacally. The craze filled her entire being. "I really wish you would meet your soulmate V. A traitor like you deserved that fate! You deserve to die V! YOU DESERVE TO DIE!"_

He woke up, chest heaving in and out, mouth gasping for air. It was difficult to breath. He urged his right palm to slam his side, patting his bed for his inhaler. Pain shot through his heart in irregular rhythm. His fingers writhing with each contraction but he didn't stop searching. Feeling the thick metallic container in the side he didn't hesitate to grab it. Just he was about to put it into his mouth...

_"I'm sorry will never be enough. I won't ever forgive you! Even if you never planned this to happen!"_

Time stopped for a while, his hand trembled but he willed himself to throw that inhaler away from him. It didn't go far but it did slip past his bed so that comforted him. He didn't deserve it. Not after everything he did. Not after the friends he betrayed. Not after failing to save Rika.

The wound in his stomach from the gun shot ached. His whole body did. Jihyun laid curled up, one hand clenching his chest while the other on his wound until the pain subdued by itself. His wheezing smoothed and the tension left his body. He stared at nothing. Not that he could see anything at this point. His whole world were just very blurred colors. He lost the ability to see shapes. Who knows what else he will lose next but he wished it would be his life.

He propped himself out of the bed. His shirt clung into his chest like a second skin from the drenching sweat. He grabbed his stick and pull himself up. Lightly tapping the floor, Jihyun walked himself into the restroom. Cold air hit his body the moment he entered, cooling him off. He took off his shirt, letting it plopped down on the floor without a care. He stretched an arm to grab a towel from where he remembered, tapping his chest dry. Then he stood in front of the stall, letting water fill up his hands. He splashed water into his face, letting the coldness soothed his warm skin. He repeated the action.

_"What did you to Rika noona? WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER? You must have brainwashed her! SHE WAS NEVER LIKE THIS! IT'S YOUR FAULT V! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! I KNEW YOU COULDN'T BE TRUSTED!"_

He splashed again yet this time more aggressively.

_"Saeran, my brother... What are you going to do? Turn everything back!"_

It escalated. The water flew erratically-

_"I know it's not my place to say this but everyone is disappointed in you."_

-on his hair, chest, floor. He stopped, raising his head at reflection. There was no face there but if he had to guess, it probably had the face of a man undeserving of mercy.

He blinked as goosebumps spread through his skin whenever his wet hair dripped. The droplets have started to slow down but his shoulders shivering didn't.

Jihyun grabbed the towel again, the bottom of his feet tapped slightly at the created puddle. He ought to clean it. Instead of using the towel to dry his hair, he kneed down and started wiping the floor, it absorbed the mess he did like a sponge.

_Scrub, scrub, scrub_

He shouldn't bother the workers with a trivial job done by trivial person.

_"I trusted you without question because I thought you had a good reason. Didn't know you were that irresponsible."_

They deserved better than someone who couldn't clean up after their unnecessary mess.

_Scrub, scrub, scrub_

He stood up, his pants now soaked, and twisted the towel, squeezing the water out before going back again.

_"I'm always grateful that you saved me so I wanted to take your side but... I can't believe you. I can't believe the V I know would do this."_

The floor was dry now, no traces of dampness but-

_Scrub... scrub... s...c...r..u...b..._

"..."

_"You deserve to die V! YOU DESERVE TO DIE!"_

* * *

_"Suicide in South Korea is the 10th highest rate in the world according to the World Health Organization, after the death of-"_

You closed the TV, throwing the remote into the couch as you made your way towards the door now that you finished your indoor exercise. Wiping sweat from your forehead, you made your way out of the apartment into the streets with a bottle of water in your hand to the destination you had been going for regularly.

You jogged for 15 minutes, ponytail swayed left and right with each jumpy step you took. It's midnight, the weather in seoul, near the Han river gets really cold if people do not dress warmly. Cladding in nothing but a plain white t-shirt and sweatpants, it wasn't warm for you. However, there was something refreshing about running and feeling the cool air breeze your face. Especially when you are mad like right now.

"Damn will I kill that pervert," you muttered under your breath, remembering how you would love to be lazy and go back to your old life of never exercising. That lifestyle would be missed. All it took was being groped by someone who claims to be your soulmate to have you start regime of HIIT (High-intensity interval training) just so you can wipe the floor with him if he did anything funny. It does help being a former martial artist.

You may not remember your first words to that guy and he may have said your soulmate words to you but you know for sure no way that guy is your soulmate... you hoped. You prayed to Jesus, Allah, Buddha, whatever god out there that it wasn't.

A sigh escaped you, chugging water down your throat. At least you were about to start your day off. The thought of a weekend succeeded in making you feel better that you started humming a tune.

There usually weren't anyone near this specific bridge during this time of day, you know because you been training for 3 months so it did suprise you when you caught sight of someone with Mint hair, _MINT HAIR_. It was quite a rare color for anyone to dye their hair with that you couldn't help but lag behind. Although you couldn't see his face, from the back, he seemed like a model. He had the physique of one. Tall, good fashion sense, absurd, styled hair. You became intrigued by his presence that you stayed few meters behind him, a part of his personal phone call reached your ear.

"Yes it will be in 20 minutes at Imjin, seom, Cheongmicheon-"

You side stepped a bit to peek at him, hoping he would be hot after giving you expectation from behind. Instead you ended up surprised when you saw a stick followed by sunglasses... He was blind? Blind with dyed mint hair? That was such a strange combination. You couldn't help but be worried over what's he's doing here? You were not someone who underestimated disabled people and give them pity help but it was midnight. Nobody was around, the bridge is long that you doubt anyone without a car can reach the end nevermind a blind person. Maybe he's waiting for someone to pick him up so you should stay out of this? Or maybe he needed help? You felt so conflicted that you started a debate in your head on whether you should ask or just let it go.

All of a sudden he stopped walking causing you to subconsciously stop with him. He turned around towards you, making a confused sound.

He stood there in silence.

You stared.

Why do you have a feeling you know where this was going?

Just as he was about to talk, you ran ahead in full speed for 2 minutes, far, far away from him.  
...  
...  
...

You heaved in air, grabbing your knee in support, your face super red. Both from running and embarrassment.

"Why did I do that, urgghh!" Sometimes you want to slap yourself. You really just blatantly followed someone. No doubt you appeared super suspicious. If you were him, you would be scared that someone was just following you, stopping when you stop. The fact he is blind probably made him even more aware of the fact that you matched his pace. You may have had the most innocent intentions (like whether you should help him or not) but you couldn't deny how wrong that must have been for him.

 _Although why did I ran when I could have explained myself..._ You facepalmed. Of course you would never use your brain when you need too. You rolled your eyes at your own stupidity, knowing it couldn't be helped. What's done is already done.

You should head back home now. Thanks to your mistake, your stomach ended up stinging from running when you just drank water. You originally came for a light jog for thirty-forty minutes but now you burned fat faster than you intend. It was never a good idea to run in full speed.

You limped your way back, trying to ease the pain there. It was working since you weren't pushing yourself hard. The walk took longer than you expected, around ten minutes when you caught sight of the blind man again, far ahead on the edge of the rail.

Remembering how you made it awkward, you really just wanted to pass by with no indication of your existence if possible. Just when you were about to take a detour, the man climbed up the railings, to the other side...

Spreading his arms wide open.  
.  
.  
.

Your breathed hitched as realization hit you. Mouth slacked at what's about to happen next. You didn't have a good feeling about this. You needed to say something but the words got stuck in your throat and your legs refused to move. It lasted for brief moment before you took a small step forward, your arm stretched out. "S-"

He dropped down. The sound of splashing was left unheard because of your strangled cry. You didn't even realize you screamed. Your leg finally had the courage to take few more steps before they sprinted, hands prepared to absorb the impact of your body slamming forward. What just happened? You still couldn't wrap your head around it. Did you just witness a suicide? The river below rippled in rapid motion but the man was no where to be found.

You knew the Han river had a high rate of suicide. At least one person would attempt to kill themselves everyday but you didn't expect to witness one yourself! Your eyes looked around the river, trying to look for the rescue squad who would always patrol this area to stop them.

No matter where you searched, you couldn't find them. _No, no, no,_ you looked down to where he fell anxiously. Bubbles were popping out. Small waves surrounded it. He was going to die.

"SHIT!" You cursed out loud, pulling yourself up and

  
You jumped.

  
Diving right into it the water, air attacked you before you sank deep. Your whole body numbed from the freezing water to the point it was actually painful. The biggest mistake you did was open your eyes. It was dark, too dark you didn't know your left, right, front, back anymore. You didn't even know how deep you sank! It's was scary how losing your ability to see could make you so nervous. If it wasn't for human natural ability to float, you may have swam deeper than higher. Your throat contracted in and out, a sign that you were running out of breath so you twisted your elbows, kicking rapidly to the surface.Taking large glups of air to fill your lungs, you screamed for help.

You searched the river for the blind man, your voice never ceased shouting. If you shouted that loud, the patrolling police is bound the catch on. Your goal was to alert them of an emergency to increase the likelihood of surviving.

 _Shit, shit, shit,_ you can't find him or the bubbles. Did he sink already? You took a large drag and dived down again. Swimming downwards. It was too dark to see so you just swung your arms randomly, trying to feel any bumps or solid feeling. The heavy density of the water was making your already sore muscle even more tired. You started to panick when you got no result again. You can't find him and you were already losing breath again... he is probably already unconscious now. You tried to fight it by blindly swimming in whatever direction. It wasn't a smart strategy but you were desperate. Your lungs started to burn so you once again came out. You coughed and breathed in.

This wasn't good. _He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die._ That was the only thing that filled up your mind. As if someone up there heard your plea you saw something different from the corner of you eye. You almost thought you imagined it when you saw it again. Your arms quickly went into work, stroking toward it. The closer you got, the more you recognized. It was a grey cardigan. It was floating with a body. You clutched and tried pulling but you couldn't even hold him.

God, this wasn't the time for your previous training to stop you. Your limbs wanted to let go but you gritted your teeth and with a yell, you used all your energy, no will, to bring his back to your chest. Your panting didn't remain calm during the entire process. You twisted him face up so his face wouldn't be inside and encircled your arms under his armpits. Your feet started another round of relentless kicks, doing a back stroke. Whenever you legs wanted to slow down, you willed it into power again.

Relief hit you when you felt ground underneath, you couldn't begin to explain how glad you are that he chose to jump near land but you can't relax yet. You dragged his extremely heavy weight all the way back, leaving trails behind. How many minutes have passed?

You set him down on a flat grass, raising his chin for easy mouth access. You gripped his shirt and ripped the fabric slightly, making a line from his armpits to the center of his now exposed chest.  
  
There was no choice but to do CPR. Finger interlaced on the other, you started to compress his heart beat by beat. "1,2,3,4,5" How long did he stop breathing for? You felt his neck earlier and it didn't have a pulse.

"20, 21, 22, 23," He wasn't going to die in your hand... right?

"30." Nose blocked, your lips interlocked with his, pushing air in. Two breaths then back to pumping. "1, 2, 3,4." 

_Come on... come on... breathe_. You begged in your head over and over again. _Come on!_ You had to keep doing this until help arrive although it was clear now that no help will come so it was all up to you.

When you finished thirty, you blocked the nose and blew air again. This went on for **three** more rounds.

"Wake up please!" You cursed when he didn't stir. It was unnerving how peaceful he seemed, like he was sleeping and not dying.

_15,_

_16,_

_17,_

You tried to keep the rhythm. Hands lightly hovering to give him space to feel before pushing harder. It's clammy. "Breathe."

You took a hug breath and leaned into him to blow.

 _Again_.

"1, 2, 3," Your heart hammered in your chest. Pain striking you over and over again in _fear_ but you couldn't stop. The sound of your ponytail slapping your wet back made you realize you messed up the rhythm.

_Again_

"1, 2, 3, 4" You pumped and pumped and pumped and pumped. Your breathing started to shake. "You can do this! You can do this! **_You can do this_!**"

_13... 14..._

Was it for him?

_15... 16..._

Or for you? 

17... 18...

"hah....hah..."

_19... 20_

"Don't do this to me." You pleaded, your pumps becoming unstable. Your hand slipped causing you to almost knock on him but you balanced yourself back up.

_22_

Your eyes welled up with tears.

 _23_  
  
Your shoulders trembled.

_24_

You can't do this anymore.

_25_

"Please don't die-" _26_ " _Please_ "

He snapped, gurgling as liquid poured out of his mouth. Switching position as fast as he could, ignoring how his body spasms vigorously from the hard hitting attacks. It burned, his lungs, heart, throat, chest, he vomited and coughed at the same time. He struggled to straighten up his elbow.

"Thank god." That was all you needed for all the pain to go away. You almost cried in happiness, something that you never did before. 

"You are-" His words were cut short with a hacking cough. That was his soulmate... The very same soulmate he resented in the past. On another day he would laugh if he could because he couldn't miss the big irony life threw him. For twenty six years, the death he _used_ to fear was because of _himself_. But he couldn't laugh because he wanted it now. 

"Why did you save me?" his hoarsed voice spoke softly. He was upset but couldn't bring himself to be mad at an innocent person who got dragged into this because of him. Her only sin was being kind enough to rescue him. "Why-" he clutched his stomach, turning on his knees as he gagged then vomited more. "hah- did you save me?"

The sight was so disturbing, it made you feel nausea. The fact he still asked when he might as well be dying left you speechless. You could hear a growling sound with each breath he took and he coughed rapidly, it didn't seem like it was stopping any time soon. He vomited again. Breathing felt like flames lighting up inside him.

You didn't know what to do other than stare at him. When he started to calm down, he turned toward you. Dull minty eyes greeted you. They didn't have life in them. He was waiting for you to answer.

You spend your time thinking carefully. You reminded yourself that you were dealing with a suicidal person so you shouldn't provoke them. "Because I want too."

His expression twisted in angry. For the fourth time in his whole life he felt mad. The first were directed at his mother, the second at himself, the third at his father and now... his soulmate. Although it flashed away as fast. He truly was a hypocrite. One he wouldn't mind claiming because he was selfish. This was his only chance to redeem his mistakes. He didn't, no, couldn't let it go easily. Why was death so difficult to achieve? He got tired from failure.

"Please leave me alone... " your head titled, baffled that he was polite in such moment. You saw him try to stand but end up lurching, back to the ground regurgitating. There wasn't anything to push out anymore. Just saliva staining his chin."Please let me go."

He tried again as if he's a puppet being controlled by a master. "I'll do everyone a favor by disappearing."

You felt struck by an overwhelming amount of emotions. A flash of memory veiled your whole being.

Just sitting in the toilet crying your hearts out as you wished you disappeared over and over again.

You snapped out of it when a blur past you. What was he-? You cursed, supporting yourself off the ground to go after him. You staggered and then tripped. 

"Saeyoung... Saeran... I'm sorry. It's all my fault." He trudged across the shallow surface, the water levelled up to his ankles.

"Stop." You stood up, chasing after him. 

"Jumin... Hyun Ryu... Yoosung-ah. Even Jaehee, forgive me." He closed his eyes, reminiscing all of the good and bad memories. "Rika... I love you."

"STOP!" Your screaming seemed to have worked because he turned surprised, like he didn't hear you all this time nor did he expect you to go after him.

"You-" It's reaching your knee now, making it difficult to run.

"Don't mov-AHHH!" You felt yourself lose balance but you grabbed his shirt, dragging him with you. He toppled on top of you. Just as he was about to get up, you wrapped your arms around him, holding him in place. It was a struggle but you managed to flip and get on top of him, keeping his arms well guarded.

You had enough!

"ARE YOU CRAZY! IS YOUR LIFE REALLY THAT WORTHLESS THAT YOU KEEP ON TRYING TO THROW IT? WAS YOUR LIFE THAT MISERABLE?" You seethed, mad that he tried again as if the first time wasn't enough! Feeling his tense muscle relax, ( _now he wants to give up?_ ) everything you wanted to say was coming out in a burst of angry.

"DON'T YOU HAVE ANY FRIENDS? ANY FAMILY? OR DO YOU NOT CARE ABOUT WHAT THEY THINK?" You were panting heavily, you felt hot all of a sudden. You wanted him to feel your fury even if he can't see your glare but he lay emotionless. You felt unnerved by how dead he seemed despite being alive. You shook him by the edge of his cardigan to bring him back to his senses.

"DO YOU KNOW WHAT'S IT'S LIKE FOR THE PEOPLE LEFT BEHIND?" This subject was sensitive to you because you knew someone like that. Someone you loved and cared about deeply who would rather die than be alive. You wanted anything but that.

"IT'S TOUGH!" Your voice cracked....the tears spilling down but you wiped them right away. Maybe he didn't have someone like that... so you took a moment to calm down. You loosened your hold.

"Tell me why you want to die," you whispered, all your energy gone in the air. Replaced by a bunch of sore muscles that wanted to go to bed.

It was silent, no sound other than the gentle humming of the wave. The chillness passing by occasionally to greet your wet bodies. You would have thought he died underneath you if it wasn't for his bluish lips parting. 

"Because I deserve it. " His voice stable, clear, no wavering. It was the first time you hear conviction in such absurd words.

"Why do you think that?" you answered. "Nobody in this world deserve death."

It was silent again. You were starting to get the impression that he doesn't want to tell you. Maybe a different tactic would work.

"Wasn't it painful?" You really should get mad at him for putting you through all that and basically call the cops but here you are asking questions. It was an odd situation but you felt pity for him.

"I'm not afraid of anything not even pain." It was too late to Fear. "I'm not afraid of being tortured, strangled, beaten, drugged..." he trailed off, as if there were more things he wanted to say.

Okaaaaay. That wasn't something you hear everyday so you didn't know what to say. It sounded like he was abused. You were thinking of what to do next when he brought you out of your trance. "You should have left me to die." 

Here we go again. Does he not know when to give up? It was clear that approaching this the normal way wasn't going to work. 

You spent the next minute thinking of how to solve this....Why did you feel like you missed something important? The way he spoke, the face he makes, those eyes... they were stirring something inside of you that you couldn't place your finger on. 

"Alright. I'll let you die." You stood up, wobbling at the motion. Sometimes you impress yourself by how you got comfortable on his stomach but that was a discussion you will think about later.

You gave him a chance to roll off the water to stand up. The confusion written all over his face. He rubbed his red wrists from where you held him. "Really...?"

"Yes but you have to compensate me." You crossed your arms. His personality may have made you lose your mind but you think you had an idea of what type of person he is from the short dialogue you shared. A man of mystery who's full of secrets and if he thinks he deserve the worst when he is literally the most polite man you had the privilege to speak too, then you gotta take advantage of that.

"Compensate you?" He repeated, pushing his wet bangs out of the way.

"I mean think about it?" You flipped out your palm, acting as if he could even see you right now. "I jumped from a bridge to rescue you, you almost died in my hands, which, by the way, is a traumatic experience, pay for my psychologist please-"

You swear you hate yourself. "AND I had to rescue you again. But most importantly, I'm freezing my ass off so don't you think I deserve compensation?"

He nodded as if you made sense which you didn't. A part of you was shaking their head at you on how he WON'T fall for it.

..

But he did.

"Ahhh... you are right. I did impose on you a bit too much. My apologies."

You choked, did he just say that? Wow, he made you the bad guy pretty quickly.

"What would you like?" He frowned as soon as he said that. "I don't think I have anything to offer you. I've left my money with a friend..."

"Well then, THAT'S A SHAME!" You walked towards him and lay a hand on his shoulders. "There is only one thing you can do."

You didn't go through all that trouble of saving him, just to have him throw his life away without a fight. "For 6 months I want you to be my slave." 


	3. The Kind But Not So Kind Stranger

This was, by far, the most absurd words you ever uttered in your whole life. You would have called yourself crazy if you didn't actually put a lot of thought into this. It wasn't something you just threw in without a reason. Sure using the word "slave" was a bit extreme but you weren't talking with someone sane here. You counter crazy with crazy. Six months of him being your slave meant six months of being alive.

"You want me to be your slave?" the mint haired man repeated, closing his eyes to think.

Now that you were close and less frightened, you offhandedly noted how unattractive he was, in fact, he looked downright awful. What should have been the whites of his eyes were crimson red, zig zaging around his dull but vivid irises. Underneath, the skin sank deep of different shades of brown, making a stark contrast to the rest of his unhealthy snow white tone. The middle of his cheeks caved in as if he haven't eaten in days. If you had to guess his age, he might very well be in his mid-thirties unlike you who's twenty six so this was quite the predicament you were in. You admitted though that it wasn't a fair comparison considering he probably was at his worst right now.

"I will explain but first," You nudge him by the fabric of his shoulder, beckoning him with your head towards the street until you remembered he couldn't see. "You're not going to stay here forever are you?"

You were sick and tired of this place literally and figuratively. If you fell ill after this, you would get pissed. Your weekend, THE precious weekend that you look forward too would be ruined! You didn't work fourteen to sixteen hours in a day to spend your precious day offs in bed. It hurt you to think of the possibility so you put it on hold for now.

"Fair point," he admitted, letting you drag him to whatever you were going. The fact he was willing to listen was a good and a bad sign. Good for you because of how easy it was to manipulate him, bad for him because of how easy it was to manipulate him.

"You said you didn't care about whether you got tortured and strangled, right?" You climbed up the lawn stairs, the man with you staggered from the uneven path but he didn't say anything about the rough treatment.

"Yes..." He nodded, confirming your thoughts.

"Which also means that you shouldn't care about what I'LL do to you." You are making it sound like you would do all sort of sketchy, illegal crimes on him when in reality you wouldn't do anything. This is all nothing but a font. Of course you would have to think of something so you wouldn't appear suspicious. Trust is key afterall so... maybe house chores? That would be a blessing in disguise. You would be in cloud nine if you could come home everyday to a clean, tidy, spotless house but the man's blind. What can he even do?

"Prepare yourself for the worst," you replied, unable to see the sad smile he gave since you were too busy getting on the sidewalk, holding him back from going beyond the grey stones. "I may hurt you."

"You won't hurt me," he muttered, feeling the protective hold on him... those weren't the hands of evil and his heart ached. _Don't touch him like that..._ The voices in his head were whispering in his ears again that he deserved only one feeling in this world; pain _. "But I wish you did."_

You titled your head in confusion. Did he say something or was that your imagination? It was hard to tell when the streets was so packed with different sets of cars driving by leaving behind their toxic air and loud rushing noise. 

"So agree?" The only thought in your head was how to catch a cab to get out of here. You flickered your thumb out, waiting for whomever would stop.

"Why six months?" He wondered why you chose such a specific period of time. It felt too long for his pitiful life to exist. Besides, you were a kind stranger, the last thing he wanted was to be a burden to you _too_. His friends... no... victims came to his mind.

When you haven't caught any taxi, you directed your attention to him.

"Why? Are you worried your faith will falter?" Your voice spoke challengingly, letting your left hand drop their hold to rub your hands together. It was cold.

"What do you mean my faith will falter?" It was quite the interesting choice of words that he couldn't help but theorized it.

Just then a taxi came near to park and as you were about to get closer, they pressed down on their gas, running away as if they seen a ghost. You know you didn't look flattering but come on! A frustrated sigh escaped you. You might as well continue where you left off.

"If your will to die is so strong, it wouldn't matter how _long_ it will take. Unless, of course, it's weak then you might as well quit." You smirked, knowing you are hitting a nerve. "In the end, death or living, the choice you make will benefit the you in the future."

He seemed genuinely surprised by what you said that it muted him into silence. It had a philosophical reasoning. More calculated on the future and less on the present. As if it's a test. To test his Will to Live... Was this what you were after? He almost smiled at how sweet you were but he betrayed to many people to be wavered by a measly few months. "Have anyone told you that you are such an eloquent talker?"

...

That's not what you expected to hear. You stood there unable to think of how to react to being complimented.

"I guess that's a yes!" You covered up the fact you were flustered by brushing off his comment, focusing on what's important like how this was the third cab that did the same as the first. When the fourth car stopped, you tried to compromise by telling them you would pay for the dry and cleaning but to no avail, it didn't work. Your sharp teeth dug into your bottom lips, swearing under your breath. 

"We are going to cross the street," you declared, tightening your grip around his arm and started walking the moment you saw a chance. This part was really dangerous so you needed to get to the other side quick.

It was difficult. This wasn't a road people crossed so there were a lot of pauses, running, skidding, and stopping cars. Most of the cars refused to stop so you felt relieved when you finally reached the other end where you can take a shortcut home. This area had a lot of attraction, from cafe, fast food, food stalls, bus stops and buildings that you didn't care about. You wanted to go beyond them, at the back where your apartment lay.

The few people walking by were giving you strange stares which soon followed by a whispering contest. Both of you were attracting too much attention. It was obvious why. You were soaked from head to toe. The fact there is still a long distance till you reached your apartment made you want to laugh in hysteria. When will you get back home?

"Where are we going?" His light voice cut through your busy mind, causing you to stop, letting him go. 

You blinked, wasn't it obvious?

"My apartment?" If you didn't want him doing anything funny then the best option was to monitor him. What best way to do that then to have him right beside you?

His expression faltered and his fingers played with each other nervously. "With you? I don't think it's appropriate for a man and a woman to live together."

What?

He did not!

The audacity.

"I'm the woman here!" Your arm were on your hips, a bit offended that he was the one suggesting. If anyone would be on danger it would be you. He could do anything to you in your own house.

"Ah, that's not- not me." He waved his hand weakly, his voice lowering deeper and softer. "I meant it for... you."

You raised an eyebrow. "I offered first which means I'm fine with it unless you have a place to stay at?"

He frowned, shaking his head, ashamed with himself. The suicide was supposed to be perfect since he meticulously planned it. Three months ago, he took out large sum of money in cash and would, on a regular basis, switch hotels in different parts of the cities so Jumin wouldn't find him. He couldn't underestimate Jumin's connection so overdosing on pills were out of option. His best friend knew every hospital so he struggled to avoide ever nook and cranny of being detected. He was legally blind and powerless, nothing worked the way he wanted except for today. It was supposed to be a perfect day. Every piece fell into place except _you_. "I apologize, I suppose I'll have to impose in you further."

"Yeah, I saw that coming. " From the moment he said he didn't have money to offer you, that also meant you would be responsible for this man finance too. If you could figure out a way to make him useful, you wouldn't mind paying for his living expenses. It will be the same as employing him... Just all you need to find is his strong points.

"Come on." You turned back, walking ahead few meters, with only one goal in mind, your home. From time to time you would look behind to check if he still following you which he was. The fact he didn't need your help is impressive. You made sure you would keep a reasonable distance so he won't get lost. Again, even though there weren't many people nearby, they were staring. A bunch of boys on a street bench were snickering and laughing as if it's a funny joke. 

How BAD did you look? You really need to get home fast so you picked up the pace, your previous discussion with mint hair came into your mind to distract you.

Inviting a unknown man to live with you on the day you met is red flags raising. Unless that woman wanted to be harmed or worse, killed, it shouldn't even be recommended at all. But you had three reasons on why you let it slide.

One of the reasons was the fact he's blind. You could hardly believe a blind man can do much to you when he can't see where you are. It's a handicap for a reason. However, it didn't mean you forgot he's a man. As a woman, you never know what could go wrong.

Which leads to the second reason, you were a former martial artist. You may look small, petite, and harmless but you have won three silver medals and two bronze in your life. Sure a man is inherently stronger than a woman but he's scrawny. He looks like he barely weighted over 70kg and is tall so that makes him a easy target for you. You can pack a punch. Sometimes it's not about fighting but about how fast you can hit a vital point to incapacitate someone. Unlike in competition, real life doesn't have rules that stop you from being dirty.   
  
Lastly, and the most important reason, you didn't care what happens to you. You weren't someone who would jump off a bridge to die but at the same time, you wouldn't be mad if you did end up dying. Life just sucked. It sucked so much that you don't care if it ended. Of course, it didn't mean you would let it happen.

You sighed, hugging your body, you turned back expecting to see him there except he wasn't. You halted. Where did he go? 

"Don't tell me he escaped?"A frustrated laugh escaped your lips. He was being _too cooperative_ to be true, you should have known. Dragging your heavy feet to the corner you recently crossed, you wondered if this was worth the hassle. 

It didn't take you long to find him. He was, surrounded by five men, pushing him into the wall. Weren't they the same kids from earlier? You heaved another sigh. This day didn't seem like it wanted to end. 

"What are you doing?" You crossed your arm, leaning on one leg and raised an eyebrow. Those young boys were familiar to you. You've always seen them smoking around here whenever you took your weekly jogs. If your memory served you right, they were still high schoolers. 

Their heads turned, one of them with a spiky hair, three lines shaved on each side of his head, narrowed small eyes, glared at you as if telling you to go away. Kids... 

"What did he do?" This time you rephrased it when you noticed your 'slave' avoiding your gaze with guilt. 

"Your boyfriend here looked at us wrong." The shaggy blond, with big round eyes that didn't seem to belong here, spat.

"AND was talking about us behind our backs." Another that didn't seem to belong there added. Adjusting his glasses. 

_Boyfriend_ , you smirked amused, you just met this guy. And what? Looked at us wrong? What kind of drugs were they on? You want to some.This try hard gang were entertaining. Too bad you weren't on the mood to humor them. 

"I'll apologize in his steady." You motioned with your hand to give him to you. If you could settle this peaceful, it would be great. "I'm sorry, I'll make sure to scold him." 

They scoffed, the shorter of the group, rocking the bangs, pushed your wet soon-to-be roommate into the ground. Almost as if it's a habit, he started to apologize. "I'm so sorry. I seem to cause you nothing but trouble today." 

"At least you are aware." You wanted to get it over with. When you were about to help him up, the leader of the gang, got in between, almost invading your personal space. You raised your head to glare at him for making this hard for you. 

"If you want to take him, get on your knee and-" He put a hand on you and you didn't even notice that you already grabbed and twisted his hand in an awkward angle. His face contorted in pain, knees almost buckling.

"Ooooh! Beat her up Dongyeon!" They were cheering.

You lightly shook your head. From the position you were in, they couldn't comprehend what's happening. 

"Back off or I'll hurt you!" he hissed, clearly trying to keep his composure. This kid had no sense at all. The one in control was you not him. 

"Listen, you can go ahead and assault me." You whispered near his ear and with your eyebrows, you flickered them to the left. "But you see that camera over there? It's recording everything you are doing so I can put you in jail for three years if I want. I'm sure your parents will know about it too since you attend a prestigious school."

He seemed startled, realizing his empty threats don't work on you. "If you don't want to embarrass yourself-" your fingers drug into his skin as the hold tighten. A whimper escaped his lips. "Drop. It. Now."

He let go immediately, stepping back like he touched fire.

"Huh!"

"WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?" His friends raised up a protest. They appeared confused.

"Shut up! I'm trying to be nice cause she's a girl!" he said, pretending like he was doing you a favor even though he was nervous. 

"HOW COOL!"

Adolescents... you rolled your eyes, ignoring them to pick up your slave who have grown incredibly quiet for some reason.

"I left you for a few minutes and this is what I find." You muttered with sarcasm, pinching him by the edge of his sleeves. He didn't protest, letting you pull him for a few steps before you felt a stretch in the cotton fabric, straining your finger. You turned back to the man who stopped. 

What now? You let go. Before you could come up with any speculation, he took off his cardigan and let it hover, telling you to take it. You took it with confusion. Why?

"Umm you want me to hold it for you?" Because if that's yes then the first thing he needs to do as a slave is carry his own shit!

"Uh, no. It's not that." he rubbed wrists, the one you made swollen. 

"Don't tell me you want me to wear it?" You gave him a judgemental look, wishing he could see it. Chivalry is nice and all... But not this. "I don't know if you noticed but it's WET!"

You eyed it with a bit of disgust. No way he is serious. You wiggled it, watching the speck of leftover water splatter. Umm no thank you for sure.

He nodded.

"No," you deadpanned.

"Please." His famous soft tone made a comeback and this time it was begging.

You were about to reject but those glazed eyes of his! They way they narrowed with such tired, pleading stare had you swallowing your words. You cursed him and his eyes. Maybe that's why he is blind. 

You grumbled as you put it on. It felt so uncomfortable on your body that you despised it but it did warm you up which you didn't expect. It had to be because he already heated it up with his body. Although what is he going to do? Without the cardigan, the shirt you ripped didn't hide the details. His chest were exposed, showing his ribcage that you didn't notice.

As expected, his fingers moved up, acting as a shield. If he was fine with giving it up then you weren't going to fight him for it. 

"Happy?" He could stop using those sad, pretty eyes of his against you now. 

His shoulders dropped, making you realize he was stressed before. "Yes, thank you."

"We still got 10 minutes to go, how annoying." You felt like falling down but instead, went back to square one where you lead him right into the set of identical buildings. 

You were thankful that there wasn't any interruption this time and you would go as far as to say your polite slave walked faster than before, helping you reach the front door of your apartment. It was a miracle that your keys remained in your pockets after all that turmoil.

Tinkling, the key snapped, opening the door. You entered and bend down, taking off your shoes replacing it with a pair of slip ons. Your socks where still on.

You paid more attention to your guest, bringing out your other pair that you had for visitors. "You can put these on."

He seemed to know what to do cause he followed your lead very well. Both of you reached the center of the house before you went solo. Your footsteps padded on the ceramic, wooden titles to the side door that lead to your bedroom. You had one objective, the drawer. Ramming through it, you pulled out a new pair of underwear, a two piece pajamas, a unopened pack of men brief, a large sized shirt and sweatpants before you skipped back into the living room. 

"Would you like to go the bathroom first?" you asked, setting down the items on the kitchen table that was connected to the living room directly. It was beside the hallway of your exit door on your left, with the living room just being in front of both. 

"A lady shouldn't go after me." His voice sounded more worn out, dead, than you but you showed enough hospitality as it is to want give it up to him.

"Okay but these are for you." Maybe you did underestimated disability because he always knew where to find you without bumping into things. His ears are far better than yours. To your credit, you live the minimalistic life and your house is tidy because you are barely home. 

"I have this new, unworn, brief that you could change too." You thought you would get a weird reaction but you didn't. He was calm and a good listener, no unnecessary interest. It was refreshing to see that he didn't care about your private life. Other people would think you have men in the house but really, men underwear were comfortable so you bought yourself a few pair.

"I don't know if it will fit you cause different sizes but let's hope it will." It should be stretchable enough and he didn't seem like he had wide hips but you never know. 

"I also have this shirt." It's large so you have no doubt it will actual fit. Nothing beats a oversized shirt when you are lazy and want something comfy.

"Lastly these sweatpants." Again, it should fit since it's stretchable and he's thin...

"You can wait on this chair." You slammed it for him to hear the shake and took off near the exit, to the bathroom on the right. 

You closed the door with you and locked it. Taking off the cardigan, shirt, pants, your matching red bra and panties, you threw them into the basket bin and entered the tube naked. You wheeled the knob and let the shower pipe rain down on your head. Everything about you smelled like wet trees, sea mixed with soil. It was gross. Never in your life have you appreciated shampoos and fruit flavored body gels. They were life savers.

You hummed in content when warm water trailed down your body into the pool underneath. They traveled down the drain, going from a light shade of brown transforming into foamy flows then ending colorless. 

Your legs started to grow tired so you figured it was time to step out. You dried what you could with a towel and changed into the fresh set of underwear. Cladding a top that covered every asset and a patterned bottom, you took a dryer and a brush from the cardboard and got out of the bathroom to let him have a turn. 

You walked barefooted to the kitchen, leaving the slippers behind because they weren't hygienic enough after taking off that stinky socks. He just sat on the chair with a far off look. You used the cable to plug the dryer. "You can enter." 

He nodded, standing up to where he once heard you enter.

"Let me show you real quick." You followed, pulling him along by the ends to the tube and put a bottle on reached hand. "This is the shampoo, the fat one and the thin bottle by the edge is the shower gel. Call me if you need anything." 

You bailed out and closed the door for him. Heading towards where you left off and started the dryer. You brushed your tangled hair till it was smooth. This went on for a while until he got out taking it your cue to stop.

Your shirt actually fit him well but the sweatpants... While it did fit him, instead of reaching his ankle, it remained underneath his knee. For a temporary solution, this should do. You will have to see if you could borrow men's clothes another time. 

"Come dry your hair." You beckoned him with your hands, forgetting that he is blind. It made you realize how unaccustomed you are to disabled people. You made a mental note to be more considerate.

He, as if guided by your voice alone, just knew how many steps to take and when to stop. You handed him the dryer and left him to his own devices to do your job. 

Moving for the last time, you went into your messy room to the other set of drawer, bringing out a blanket and pillow. Honestly you just had one that you already used and this. This wasn't even thick like yours. More thin and light.

You came back, hair flowing at the light breeze of the dryer you past by. You reached the couch and set the blanket down with the pillow on top. From the corner of your eyes, you caught sight of a remote. You decide to get it out of the way so it won't bother him by placing it on the glass table that was next to it.

You heard the engine sound disappear indicating he's done. "You will be sleeping on the couch for now on." 

He nodded, the tiredness clear on his face... Probably yours too. You were relieved that the day is over that you didn't wait another second to headed to your room. He shared your silent sentiment by following your lead.

"Goodnight." As you were about to push the handle into closure, you remembered something.

"Wait..." you trailed off.

His head popped up next to the couch arm. 

"What's your name?" That ten out of ten alertness. You decided you would slap yourself another day. 

He seemed hesitant but then he answered, "V." 

"Nice to meet you V. I'm _____, your owner." You rubbed your eyes, already done with the greetings. "We will talk tomorrow about our terms but for now, let's get a wink of sleep."

He nodded in agreement.

"Goodnight." You didn't wait for an answer, you just closed the door and locked it. 

It truly was a long day. You jumped into the bed, your body relaxed into unconsciousness. 

But why do you feel like you missed something?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 is a bit slow but the story will pick up by next chapter.
> 
> Skyelion: So relatable lol Me in V route: I'm sorry Ray. Me in Ray route: I'm sorry V. Like you can never win ;-; gotta hurt one to love the other.   
> THIS! Gotta fight off the haters. I wanted to rant to someone about V route. I hate it. It's like buy 1 get this unnecessary mess for free aka Rika. Half of V's route was Rika and we only got to hug him in day 9 almost day 10... Smh. He deserved more ಥ_ಥI'm trying to buy the after ending of V to see how it goes but it's super expensive. Is it okay if I PM you? Lol   
> And thank you for the lovely comments. 
> 
> Brynnakat: Couldn't even read it again XD but I'm glad to see the positive feedbacks. You guys are just so sweet. 
> 
> sinxdeus: I doubt anyone expected it Itaintendingwellcausehewasrika'sslavebutreaderchanhaveabigheart.
> 
> Someone should give you an award for being so sweet. You exaggerating too much. I had to sit there trying to channel my inner angst that's barely existing to write lol struggled so hard and it's shows. The award should go to someone else but thank you. Nobody ever told me that. It's flattering and embarrassing. You are good at making people blush. Seriously, I have to fan myself from reading your comments. Please stop XD 
> 
> Araesan: Awww thank you. You are amazing too.
> 
> Jessielric: I feel motivated to write when I read comments like this so thank you.
> 
> AnaraNeko: Although they didn't show in the routes+ending (the first secret ending is awful. I don't know how it's a true ending when it's the most bullshit ending I've read), I feel like V is someone who would feel responsible for what he done. I thought to myself if nobody helped him right away, he might take drastic measures. 
> 
> Thank you for your comment. I feel the happiest when people tell me they love how I portray V. He is difficult and easy at the same time lol
> 
> Emma: Awwww *wanna choke myself from the compliments lmao* YES THERE IS NOT ENOUGH LOVE FOR V! Thank you for loving the Mc. She is too tough for someone soft like V so I wanted to try to see how they will work together. 
> 
> Main music: 
> 
> Baekhyun UN Village   
> D.O That's Okay  
> Baekhyun Psycho

**Author's Note:**

> Of course I'll write a story for a fandom that's dead. I'm a whole clown BUT I PLAYED V ROUTE LIKE 3 WEEKS AGO AND V JUST WON'T LEAVE ME. He is like the least popular member so I'm showing him love. I haven't written anything for few years now so I'm rusty. I'm just glad I'm finally able to write after struggling forever. Sorry, my writing is shit but I had to post or else I'll feel hopeless. 
> 
> Main music choice for this chapter: 
> 
> Raina: Home Your Honor  
> Kim Ez: Shine  
> Taeyang: Love You to Death


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